Iggy Pop’s five best movie roles
Iggy Pop is one of punk’s true pioneers. Inspired by witnessing Jim Morrison and The Doors perform in 1967, Pop began performing with his band The Stooges with a raw and unbridled style. Whether he was throwing himself into the audience, cutting himself with shards of glass, or smearing food over his naked body, Pop’s on-stage presence has always left an impression on audiences.
Through the 1960s and ’70s, the band released now-classic albums such as The Stooges and Raw Power, efforts that have since been heralded as some of the most influential albums of all time, shaping what came to be known as punk rock.
After working with David Bowie on a solo album entitled The Idiot, Pop became even more successful in the music world, attracting fans through his continued unpredictability on stage, as well as his distinctive voice and lyrics. Although Pop hasn’t had massive commercial success in comparison to his contemporaries, like Bowie, he has remained a cultural icon and a figurehead of the punk genre.
Pop has also dipped his toes into the world of cinema, often appearing in small cameo roles or rockumentaries. Here, we trace his movie career by exploring five of his best cinematic roles…
Iggy Pop’s five best movie roles:
Cry-Baby (John Waters, 1990)
Controversial and boundary-pushing artist John Waters, who gained notoriety for his stomach-turning film Pink Flamingos, directed the teen musical comedy Cry-Baby in 1990, which placed Johnny Depp in the titular leading role. Waters also gave the role of Cry-Baby’s crazy uncle Belvedere Rickettes to Pop, which sees him in some rather uncompromising situations.
Belvedere scrubs himself butt naked in a tub outside, dances wildly as Cry-Baby performs, and pick his nose before eating his findings. In typical Waters fashion, the film is overstated, and Pop, who is no stranger to restraint, goes all-out in his performance, even delivering a gross, saliva-dripping kiss at one point.
Coffee and Cigarettes (Jim Jarmusch, 2003)
One of Pop’s frequent collaborators is Jim Jarmusch, the independent filmmaker who first received acclaim upon the release of his deadpan comedy Stranger Than Paradise. In 2003 he released the anthology film Coffee and Cigarettes, which contains 11 short stories each made up of different actors and musicians.
One segment, Somewhere in California, follows Iggy Pop and fellow-musician Tom Waits as they converse in a coffee shop. Originally shot as a short film in 1993, the segment depicts Waits as agitated, even more so when he finds out that none of his music is available on the jukebox. It’s all slightly absurd, but there is something so enjoyable about watching the two chat, smoke, and just talk.
The Dead Don’t Die (Jim Jarmusch, 2019)
Jarmusch got Pop to play a zombie in his latest feature film The Dead Don’t Die, alongside other musicians and artist cameos, such as RZA, Tom Waits, Charlotte Kemp Muhl, and Sturgill Simpson. Pop plays a “coffee zombie”, becoming the first to rise from the dead.
Pop looks pretty much how he has always done, donning a leather waistcoat and flares. However, Pop’s character attacks his victim, who tries to fend him off with a mop, tucking into her body on the floor before finding coffee to wash her down with. Apparently, after the musician ate the prosthetic guts, he actually fell rather ill.
Blood Orange (Toby Tobias, 2016)
Taking an unexpected leap into leading role territory for the first time, Pop starred as an ageing rockstar in Toby Tobias’ Blood Orange in 2016. Set in Ibiza, the film follows Pop’s Bill and his young wife Isabelle, who he suspects of cheating him out of his father’s inheritance.
Despite the film receiving mixed reviews, Pop’s performance was praised as “magnetic,” despite it not being a far cry from his own self. Regardless, Pop delivers his lines with the growl of someone who has lived more lives than just one, whilst brandishing a shotgun and charging around shirtless – in typical Iggy style.
Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch, 1995)
Yet another Jarmusch collaboration, Pop is excellent as Salvatore “Sally” Jenko, who eats beans and shares stories round a campfire alongside Johnny Depp and Billy Bob Thornton.
Shot in glorious black and white, Pop’s role isn’t huge, but he makes an impression, clad in a dress and bonnet and reciting the Bible. Pop’s character doesn’t have the best of fates when events at the campsite turn violent after the arrival of William Blake, played by Depp.
